Burnt Impressions Toasters Transform Ordinary Bread Into Works of Art

Every once in a while, someone pops up on the news with word that they found a religious image burnt onto a piece of toast, but Galen Dively, CEO and president of Burnt Impressions in Danville, VT, has taken that idea one step further with his new product line. “I was wrapping up a Hello Kitty toaster as a Christmas present and thought to myself, ‘That’s a pretty cool idea,’” he says. So after some tinkering, he came up with Burnt Impressions, which will burn an image of a hemp leaf, a peace symbol, or Jesus onto a piece of toast. “We showed our line at the ASD Show in Las Vegas in March, and got a great response,” Dively says. “We picked up 40 new customers, and the orders just keep coming in.” Retailers range from head shops to various independents, and even to bingo parlors, which give away the toasters as prizes.

The idea is deceptively simple, and the product makes a great gift. “We only started selling these last August, and we’ve already moved more than 6,000 units,” Dively says with a laugh. The Burnt Impression toasters wholesale for $15 each, with a five percent discount for orders of 36 or more, and retailers are selling them from $29.99 to $39.99 apiece. “Jesus is far and away our best seller,” Dively says, “with hemp coming in second.” Burnt Impressions plans to roll out a Virgin Mary toaster this month, and later this summer will debut two adult themed versions as well. Minimum order is one dozen, and retailers can mix and match styles. New customers receive free shipping on their first order. “We think we have a winner,” Dively says. “With wedding season coming up, our toasters make great gifts.”